Here is the 36th oneshot in my Miraculous Revelations series. This oneshot was suggested many weeks ago by Angelwings2002 and this time I have managed to get it out within my weekend margin of error, unlike my unannounced week off the other week. It is looking like I will have a bit more time in the coming week to get more work on this series done so expect a bonus oneshot sometime this week in addition to the standard oneshot that will be released next weekend, as well as my attempts to get ahead in the writing of this series in the coming days so that more can be released after my impending, brief, hiatus due to real life factors. The only major story note I will make here is that until the US release on Netflix of the second half of Season 2, all oneshots will take place after the events of 'Frozer' but before the 'Heroes Day' two episode season finale so as to not spoil those two episodes. Once those episodes are released on Netflix, this story will shift to a post 'Heroes Day' timeline unless the prompt specifically requires a different time. That's all for this note, sit back and enjoy the latest oneshot in this series, Bags.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to this show.
Bags - Ms. Bustier has organized a class trip to a nearby forest so that the kids can spend a weekend camping and learning about the nature indigenous to France. The trip is mandatory and required in order to pass the class so Adrien's father has to let him go. However, because no one in the Agreste household knows what to do when it comes down to camping, Nathalie gets Adrien the gear recommended by the school. For a school of Parisians, many haven't camped before and someone else has the exact same bag as Adrien. Surely there won't be a mix-up or any problems, right?
Bags
Adrien was running as fast as he could to the meeting point for the class trip. He had been held up at home because he had been forced to listen to his father's lecture, a few demonstrations, and get his stuff from Nathalie regarding said trip. This had made Adrien late but he didn't mind, he was just happy that he actually got to go on on the trip.
As part of the class curriculum, Ms. Bustier had decided that the entire class was going to spend a weekend away from Paris and camp out for a few days in one the nearby national forests. The logic behind this was to show the kids nature first hand and teach them about what was indigenous to their nation, as well as a practical lesson on the environment. In order to get the whole class to participate, Ms. Bustier had made the trip mandatory and a requirement to pass the class.
It was that last part that had finally gotten his father to allow Adrien to go on the trip. Normally his father wouldn't let him travel too far from home where Gabriel could keep an eye on him, and even now his bodyguard was going to tail the bus and be on hand in the area just in case, but this time, Gabriel Agreste had relented. Part of it was the fact that it was required, but another part was that his father thought that it would be safer for Adrien to be away for a weekend, what with the sudden spike in akuma attacks and all that.
All Adrien had cared about was that he was going to be allowed to go and spend a weekend camping with his friends like a normal teen, well a normal teen who went camping that is. Of course, Adrien had none of the equipment needed to go camping, so he had had to wait for Nathalie to go out and get him a standard issue survival backpack, tent, roll mat to sleep on, mess tins, portable stove, Swiss army knife, cutlery, and all the other essentials, some of which the school had told them to get, the others just out of precaution.
His father had suggested getting the deluxe model with all the best gear but Adrien had insisted on the standard equipment. He was there with friends, not showing off to them, and this was likely going to be a onetime thing, so why waste money on things that Adrien might not use again. Besides, showing off was Chloe's job and Adrien didn't expect his first friend to disappoint them.
After the bag, and other necessary gear, had been acquired, Adrien had packed it with all that he would need for the weekend based of the itinerary sent to them by Ms. Bustier for what they would need on the trip. Adrien made sure he had everything and then added some extra cheese for Plagg. It was only enough cheese to keep the kwami satisfied for a day, at least that was how long Adrien expected it would take for Plagg to eat all the cheese, after that Plagg would have to eat the same camping food Adrien was eating.
Plagg hadn't been happy about that but accepted that if his precious Camembert was out of a cool, dry, place for a whole weekend then it would go off and he couldn't eat it. Also, it would be in smelling distances of animals that might come and try to take it from Plagg. Apparently Plagg had a special issue with, of all animals, raccoons, an animal indigenous to North America but due to species introduction were now a pest in Germany with a population spilling over into France. Plagg considered all raccoons nothing more than filthy, cheating, no good, food stealing, tricksters that were out to get Plagg due to a 250 year old grudge, or something like that. Adrien decided not to find out why his kwami didn't like raccoons, or when he had met them for that matter, he just chalked it up to one of Plagg's oddities from a past holder.
Despite this, Plagg had insisted that he ride in the bag instead of Adrien's jacket for the duration of the trip. He would still be nearby if an akuma attacked them on the way and this way Plagg could "guard" the supplies as he called it. Adrien knew that the truth was that Plagg was going to eat all the cheese on the way so that it didn't go bad and be in a cheese coma for the rest of the day. Adrien didn't mind though as it meant he wouldn't be smelling the stinky cheese for long.
Plagg had also claimed that he had camped out in the proper wilderness before so he could survive without his cheese. He wouldn't tell Adrien any details of who he had been camping with, only that Plagg suggested that they never, ever, try to eat porcupine or possum. Again, Adrien had decided to not press his kwami for answers to questions he was pretty sure he didn't want to know.
All of this planning, and dealing with Plagg's distrust of raccoons and strange survivalist stories regarding beavers, elk, and a very angry black bear, had ensure that Adrien was running behind schedule so his driver only just managed to get him to the bus stop where the school bus was in time. Adrien had insisted on being allowed to travel with the school, his nanny could follow behind him on the way to the camp ground. Still, he was now running to get to the bus and not be too late for the trip.
"Adrien, just on time." Ms. Bustier said in her usual kind tone as he arrived out of breath. Only her and Principle Damocles, who was coming as the school required a male and female teacher in attendance at all times when dealing with a co-ed group, were left outside the bus. "You are the last one to arrive."
"Sorry Ms. Bustier, I was just double checking I had everything I needed for the weekend." Adrien gasped out as he just threw his bag into the bus's storage area, not taking note of the other bags there, and hurrying to get on the bus.
"Always a good idea my boy." Principle Damocles said with a nod as Adrien rushed to get on the bus. "Better to be safe than to be sorry."
Adrien didn't say anything as he got on the bus and noticed that Nino had saved him a seat. It was right behind Marinette and Alya so that meant that they could talk the whole bus ride to the camp sight they were staying at. It was going to take about 2 hours to get there and that was if the traffic was good.
Sitting down, Adrien fist bumped Nino and took a deep breath as he tried to regain it. When he was Cat Noir, Adrien had near unlimited stamina but as himself it wasn't as good. Fortunately, Adrien had made it just in time, albeit out of breath, and he was excited for the weekend.
"Well we are now all here and can get going." Ms. Bustier said as the bus began to pull out of the parking lot. "I will save the instructions and rules for the weekend until we get there. For now just relax, we will be there in about 2 hours."
"I still can't believe I have to go and live in the wilderness for two nights, it is utterly ridiculous!" Chloe moaned from the back of the bus. She may have been Adrien's only friend growing up but Adrien still got frustrated at how spoilt Chloe was at times, and how she acted like a brat almost all of the time.
"Mademoiselle has the very best and the latest in glamping equipment." A tired, male, voice said and Adrien realized that Chloe had brought her personal butler along for the trip, a new low even for her as Sabrina usually filled that role when Chloe wasn't in the hotel. "It is all packed and I will set it up for you and Mademoiselle Raincomprix when we get there."
"Thank you, Jean-Jean." Chloe said dismissively. "That will make it just about bearable."
Adrien decided to tone Chloe out and turned to Nino to ask him about his latest gig. Adrien was looking forward to a relaxing bus ride and fun weekend with his friends away from Paris and his responsibilities as Cat Noir. There was nothing bad that could possible happen to them this weekend.
"Alright, we are almost at the campsite, so here are the rules for the weekend." Ms. Bustier said as the bus pulled into the National Park's parking lot 2 hours later and Principle Damocles had exited the bus. "We will walk from here to the camp ground we are staying at. It is about a kilometer into the forest, hence why you were asked to bring comfortable hiking boots or shoes for the weekend."
"I can't believe you expect us to actually walk in this wilderness." Chloe moaned loudly from the back of the bus. "It's ridiculous!"
"Well Chloe it is mandatory and part of the weekend." Ms. Bustier said kindly, which got a resigned huff out of the blond girl. "We are all doing it so you can put up with it for the weekend. Anyway, the campsite has a common area in the center where we will be making what the Americans call s'mores tonight, though not with the precise materials as the crackers are French, not American."
"Where are we setting up out tents?" Alya asked.
"On either side of the common area are smaller camping areas." Ms. Bustier replied. "One will be for boys, the other for the girls and no sneaking around at night. You all know your tent buddies already, make sure you stick to that at night. This is the one rule that I am inflexible on."
"Tent dudes." Nino said as he and Adrien fist bumped. Adrien just smiled, he was ready for the normal weekend to come.
"There is also a set of small toilets and showers to the north of the campsite." Ms. Bustier continued, ignoring the murmuring of the students. "Again, they are clearly signed for men and women. Lastly, the additional guests will be staying a little ways off at a secondary campsite that has been sorted out, and paid for, by Mr. Agreste."
"Only after Jean-Louis has set up my tent and everything else I need to survive out here." Chloe said with a slight huff.
"That's fine Chloe." Ms. Bustier said as Principle Damocles got back onto the bus.
"All the bags are out waiting for you, except Ms. Bourgeois's bag as I couldn't figure out." The Principle said when he got back onto the bus. "" It's time to go camping and see the owls in a few hours. Hoo-Hoo."
"Don't worry, Jean-Isaac knows what he's doing." Chloe replied confidently.
"That I do Mademoiselle." The haggard butler replied with a sigh.
Not for the first time did Adrien feel sorry for Chloe's butler but the man was probably paid well and seemed to actually care for Chloe, and keep her in line more than most could, so Adrien didn't press the issue of his treatment. Instead, Adrien just got up from his seat and followed his friends out of the bus. It was time to get his bag and head to set up camp for the first time in his life.
Due to the fact that most of the class had never gone camping, or had families who had enjoyed it in the past, a lot of them had similar, generic, bags that the school had recommended they get for the trip. Adrien saw his bag and grabbed it before joining his friends as they made their way from the parking lot and towards the path that led into the forest. Because they were in a line, Adrien did not notice that Marinette had an identical bag to his.
It took them about half an hour to get to the camp ground they were staying at, mainly because Chloe was complaining loudly the entire way as her butler, Sabrina, and unfortunately Adrien's bodyguard, had to carry all of her needless stuff. It appeared that Chloe had brought only the finest in glamping material so that she was going to be comfortable all night, complete with all the amenities of home. Adrien could have done the same, but he wanted to share this with his friends and was happy to be using the generic stuff. Adrien didn't need all that fancy stuff for a weekend in the woods with his friends.
As soon as they got to the campsite, Ms. Bustier ordered them to go to their assigned areas based on gender and set up so that they were ready before returning to the central area for a lesson in how to make their own dinner using the equipment they had brought. Adrien and Nino bade farewell to their friends and headed over to find a secluded spot on the boys side to set up their tent. Adrien had the tent while Nino had the food and cooking equipment, despite Adrien having a spare gas camping stove at the insistence of his father.
"Right dude, I am going to go to the bathroom." Nino said as soon as they got their bags off and on the ground where they wanted to set up camp. "I really need it after that bus ride."
"Alright, take your time." Adrien said as he unhooked the tent from its place on the outside of the bag and began to unpack it, Nathalie had instructed him on how to set it up before he had left for the trip. "I'll set up camp but you are making all the food."
"Thanks dude, will do." Nino said with a wink and ran off as fast as he could in the direction of the bathroom.
Adrien just chuckled as he best friend sprinted to the small building that housed the toilets and showers to the north of the camp ground they were staying at. While Adrien did not doubt that Nino actually needed the bathroom, he was pretty sure that his best friend was using the set-up time, and the distraction that Chloe's massive tent would provide, to spend some quality time with Alya away from everyone else.
That was why Adrien had volunteered to be the set-up guy for them while Nino did the cooking. This way Adrien didn't have to risk cooking while Nino got some time with his girlfriend and he could relax, make sure Plagg hadn't caused any problems in his bag, and set up their tent in peace. Adrien suspected that Marinette was enjoying the same thing on the girl's side while Alya was with Nino, minus the looking after a mischief kwami part of course.
It took Adrien 10 minutes to remember how all the poles worked, where they went, and how to properly erect the tent. Once that was done, Adrien pegged the tent down in all the right places with the provided tent pegs, pulled away the rain flap, opened up the front of the tent, put his and Nino's bags in, then crawled in to set up, making sure that the flap out front was down so as to give himself, and Plagg, some privacy.
First Adrien detached his roll mat and extended it on his side of the tent. Then he unrolled his new sleeping bag on top of it. Then Adrien hung a small lantern that Nino had brought from a strap in the tent and turned it on so that there was some more light. Only then did Adrien finally open the top of his bag to make sure Plagg hadn't managed to destroy, or at least cause a mess, of everything inside. That was when Adrien got the shock of his life.
The bag wasn't his! It had looked like his, right down to the make and model, and the sleeping bag and roll mat that had come with the bag as part of the package deal for it looked like his, but none of it was his. It turned out that someone else in his class had the exact same make, model, and style of camping bag as he did, likely because that person had gotten it from the same place as she didn't go camping prior to this trip.
Adrien knew that it was one of the girl's bags because of the pink clothes, including a visible bra, and the girly fashion magazine he noticed at the top of the bag. That alone wasn't good but the whole thing was made worse by what Adrien saw atop the clothes and next to an open, and very familiar, pink purse.
Adrien was looking down at a bright pink kwami with three black dots and a set of antennae hanging down from the back of its head. The kwami had been happily eating a matching pink, and carefully made so that it was small enough for a kwami, macaroon. In fact, the kwami had it in her paws, halfway to her open mouth after having already taken a bite out of it when Adrien had opened the bag and noticed it. Now it was staring up at Adrien, it's eyes wide in shock and fear, completely immobile.
Adrien had no doubt as to who's kwami this was. The color and dots confirmed that even if Adrien knew that there were only 3 other kwamis that were active at all times and all three were either accounted for or couldn't be this one in Hawk Moth's case. No, this was Ladybug's kwami. If Adrien's memory served right from the one time he had heard his lady's deactivation and then activation phrase in that shipping container, the kwami's name was Tikki.
That left the next question; who's bag was it? That answer came to Adrien a split second after he realized that the kwami he was staring at was not his but Ladybug's. The fashion magazine was a good start, but what let Adrien know who's bag it was and thus who Ladybug was, was the pink purse and the macaroon that the kwami was munching on.
Only someone of exceptional baking skill could make a macaroon that perfectly tailored for a kwami to eat and there was only one person in their class with that very specific skill, and she just so happened to also have a pink purse exactly like the one next to the kwami. Marinette. There was now no doubt in Adrien's mind that his lady, his love, was his classmate Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
The kwami then dropped its half-eaten macaroon and the moment was broken. Quickly it flew up and out of the bag, its eyes darting everywhere and a paw raised to its lips. Adrien got the message and quickly put a finger to his own lips and made a hiding notion, which the kwami nodded at, before he unzipped the tent and lifted up the slanted rain flap thing out front that added some privacy to them and looked around.
Thankfully no one was near them. Most of the guys were nearer the central area after they had finished setting up their tents and had headed over to the communal area to watch as Chloe directed her butler and Sabrina to set up what looked like a multi room, very extravagant, tent. Adrien pegged the flap back down again, returned into his tent, and then zipped up both the mesh and the fabric flaps. Only then did the kwami come out of the bag again and float over to him.
"We are alone." Adrien whispered to it so that they wouldn't be overheard. "We can speak freely for a few moments before Nino returns."
"I presume that there is no way I can explain this away, is there?" The kwami asked in a soft, clearly feminine, voice. "Like would you believe that I smelt the baked goods in this bag and went to eat them and that the bags owner is not also my human."
"You know who I am and I know what you are." Adrien said bluntly and the kwami nodded at him. "So no, I can't believe that given what I know about kwamis. You're Tikki right? Ladybug's kwami. This is her bag, isn't it?"
"I am and it is her bag." Tikki confirmed with another nod. "And I presume you could recognize who's bag this is."
"Well I thought it was mine." Adrien said with a sheepish smile. "It is the same type and has everything attached to it that my bag has. However yes, I know who's it is. I see that purse every day and frankly there is only one person who is skilled enough to make a perfect, kwami sized, macaroon like that."
"Yes, my human is really talented when it comes to baking and I love it because I have a really bad sweet tooth that she feeds better than any human I have been paired with." Tikki said confirming Adrien's suspicion without having to name her human. s"But yes, she got the same generic bag that the school recommended as she, nor her family, has every been camping. This does mean that she has yours, you know that right?"
"Ah, I didn't think of that, but, well, if she does then she will find him soon enough." Adrien said realizing that this was going to be a two-way problem and that Marinette was going to learn his secret, something he had always been willing to share with Ladybug but was waiting for Ladybug to be ready to share hers as well. "Probably in a very unattractive way, knowing my kwami."
"Knowing him, I wouldn't doubt it." Tikki said shaking her head in disapproval which Adrien smiled at in agreement. "But as dumb as he is at times, especially when it comes to food, drink, and gambling, he isn't stupid. He will know what has happened and that we will have to exchange bags privately. He has been the cause of so many reveals, many more than me, that he has developed a system of how to handle almost any scenario, and I mean any scenario."
"Agreed." Adrien said with a nod If there was one thing Plagg was good at, it was getting into, and subsequently out of, trouble. "We probably should exchange the bags, and you kwamis, sometime tonight after the campfire thing that they have planned."
"That is probably for the best." Tikki said with a nod of her own. "That will be when most people are asleep and you and my human can pretend to go to the bathroom and exchange there, that is the most private place around here. The rest of this stuff is generic so it can stay if you want but the bags, and their contents, need to be exchanged. Don't worry, this is probably the 4th or 5th time something like this has happened, though the last time I remember it happening was when we were assigned to two members of Spanish expedition to the New World so that the Spanish didn't abuse any natives they found there. Unfortunately, we ultimately mission failed that mission and we had to flee the New World, but while there, it was a mix up of satchels between the maidservant I was with and the young, progressive, noble that yours was with at the time that caused us to reveal our humans to one another."
"Er, ok, good to know." Adrien said, not really listening as he pricked up his ears. He could hear footsteps coming towards them from the direction of the bathroom and that could only mean one thing. "Quick, hide. I think Nino is coming back."
"Thank the Guardian of Magic for the Bleeding Effect." Tikki whispered as she flew into Marinette's bag and Adrien closed it, completely ignoring what the kwami had just said.
A few moments later, longer than Adrien had expected, Nino came into the tent as Adrien was rolling the roll mat and sleeping bag back into their original, storage, forms. His best friend had a silly grin on his face and Adrien didn't have to guess what that meant.
"Dude, what are you doing?" Nino asked as he realized that Adrien was reattaching the roll mat and sleeping bag to Marinette's bag.
"Turns out that Marinette and I bought and brought the same bag and it seems that I accidentally picked up hers and not mine when we got off the bus." Adrien said with genuine embarrassment.
"Damn that's annoying." Nino said as he began to set up his sleeping gear, unpack his stuff and grabbed their cooking materials for the demonstration. "Just exchange it with her later."
"I will but not until after the demonstration and campfire in a bit." Adrien said as he finished sorting out the bag. "Those are soon I think so I have to wait until there is time to return the stuff."
"Yeah, Chloe was directing the finishing touches on her glamping tent as I was returning from the bathroom." Nino said as he made sure that he had what they would need for the demonstration. "Come on, let's go and see the end of that and listen to Ms. Bustier's cooking instructions cos I have no idea what I am doing with these things."
Adrien just smiled at he best friend as they left the tent, zipped it back up, and walked towards the center of the camp ground. As Adrien walked, with Chloe's final orders ringing through the air around them, he couldn't stop thinking of Marinette being Ladybug, finding out that he was Cat Noir, and what that all meant for them going forward. Hopefully Marinette's meeting with Plagg had gone as smooth as his had with Tikki.
As soon as Marinette had gotten off the bus she had grabbed her bag, not noticing that there were two of the exact same bag, with the same set of accessories, and was joined Alya, Adrien, and Nino as they walked to the campsite. Though Marinette had never been camping, nor had her parents hence why she had a generic set of supplies that the school had recommended those without any camping equipment get, she was looking forward to spending the weekend in the woods.
Mainly, Marinette was looking forward to a weekend with Adrien. Chloe would be an irritation as always, and Marinette was sure that Kagami didn't like her and was also after Adrien's love, but neither would be a problem for her this weekend. Chloe wouldn't do anything that wasn't mandatory as they were outdoors and not in some fancy spa, and Kagami wasn't actually in their class so she wasn't here to compete with Marinette.
That meant that there was nothing stopping Marinette from asking Adrien to go on a private, hopefully romantic, walk along one of the nature trails with her. Well nothing other than Marinette's inability to form a simple sentence around Adrien, and not tell him that she was head over heels in love with him, that is.
As soon as they had gotten to the girls' part of the campsite, Marinette and Alya had made sure to select a spot to set up their tent on, that Marinette was carrying for them, as far away from Chloe's monstrosity as possible. Once there, Alya had excused herself to go to the bathroom but Marinette knew that it was just an excuse and that Alya was in fact going to go and make out with Nino behind the bathrooms for a while.
Marinette didn't mind though. This way she was on tent duty and not cooking duty, something that with Marinette's natural clumsiness could cause a lot of destruction anywhere she tried to use an open flame. Sure, Marinette could bake better than anyone in their class, she was the daughter of bakers so it was in her blood, but cooking was an art that she was not good at. This worked out best for both of them as Alya was steadier than Marinette was with everyday tasks, and a better cook because of her mother.
Of course, that didn't mean that it was all smooth sailing for Marinette as she tried, and failed, to set up their tent. She had managed to get herself tangled in the poles and ropes of the tent, twice, before figuring how they worked. Then she spent another 15 minutes trying to set up the tent, with multiple clumsy mistakes in the process.
Finally, after many mistakes, the tent was erected and pegged down. Marinette had managed this right as Chloe was getting into a really bossy moment with those setting up her palace like tent. That provided Marinette with the perfect excuse to duck into her tent, unroll the roll mat and read the fashion magazine she had brought with her. It was also the perfect time to cut out all the latest Adrien pictures that were in the magazine, and add them to the special photo book of Adrien photos that she had brought with her for so that she always had pictures of her love near her. Tikki would just eat the treats Marinette had baked her for the weekend and shake her little head in disapproval but Marinette didn't mind, Tikki knew that Marinette wasn't going to be persuaded otherwise.
As soon as Marinette had set up the roll mat, zipped the tent up for privacy, and had made sure that hers and Alya's bags were in the tent, she opened her bag. It took all of Marinette's willpower not to shriek at what she had found, though it didn't stop her from falling backwards and landing hard on the roll mat.
Getting up, and grumbling in mild but tolerable pain, Marinette looked into the bag again to confirm she had seen what she had thought she had seen. She had. Inside the bag, inside and empty box that used to contain an immoral amount of Camembert cheese, was Cat Noir's kwami, Plagg.
Marinette had worked with Plagg during the Style Queen battle because Cat Noir had apparently lost his miraculous and couldn't help her himself, and she had briefly seen him after the Sandboy incident, but to see him here was a shock to say the least. The Black Cat Kwami was dozing peacefully, his belly noticeably bulging and a wide smile on his face, in what Marinette was sure a container that had once contained more than twice the kwami's body weight in cheese. Marinette did not want to think about the fact that the sight meant that Plagg had eaten all the cheese himself, his breath proved that, and he had done so over the last 2 hours.
Marinette was confused though. She had thought that she had grabbed her bag but it turned out she had grabbed someone else's bag that just so happened to be the exact same make and model as the one her parents had bought her. That someone with the same bag as her also happened to be Cat Noir. Marinette knew that she should not check to see who's bag it was so as to protect Cat Noir's identity but she also had to return the bag to that person. She was in a real catch 22.
Marinette's dilemma was answered for her when she noticed what was under the cheese box with the still happily slumbering kwami in it. Under it was a bright blue, hand knitted scarf. Marinette knew that scarf because she had been the one who had knitted it well over a year ago. She also knew who she had knitted it for. She had knitted it for Adrien. That could only mean one thing. Adrien was Cat Noir.
That alone was a major reveal as she could not see Adrien as Cat Noir but the proof in front of her was irrefutable. It also meant that the boy who she was in love with was also her akuma fighting partner, a partner that she knew was in love with Ladybug. Of course, that didn't mean that Adrien loved her as Marinette, if he was to ever learned that she was Ladybug that is, but it was a start and Marinette was willing to go from there. At least she now knew that Adrien was in love with part of her and that was something that Marinette would latch onto with all her might.
"Plagg." Marinette whispered as she gently prodded his belly with one finger to try and wake sleeping kwami. "Wake up, there has been some sort of mix up and we need to talk right away."
"No, Aristaeus, this isn't your fancy gala's swimming pool sized fondue pot, it's my Jacuzzi and my dinner when I am done with it, thank you very much." Plagg muttered as Marinette prodded him again to try and wake him. She did not want to know what the kwami was dreaming about, even if it seemed that Plagg was enjoying his dream.
"Plagg, wake up." Marinette said a little more forcefully but no less quietly, not that they could be overheard over the racket Chloe was making as her tent was being set up nearby.
"Fine." Plagg muttered as he opened his eyes and blinked blearily at Marinette. "Marinette? What are you doing in my human's tent. Are you two finally together? Wait, where is my human? Merde. Not again. This is as bad as I think it is isn't it?"
"Yup." Marinette said with a nod at Plagg as he groggily floated up from the bag and looked at her through sleepy eyes. "I know that Adrien is Cat Noir, the scarf was the one I knitted for him after all, even if he doesn't know it came from me. I also know that this means that he love me, or at least he loves Ladybug which is part of who I am."
"Oh, yeah, that's true." Plagg said with a shrug. "Also means that if you have his bag, then he has yours. I doubt he hasn't opened it yet. He would want to check on me and make sure that I was behaving myself, which I always do by the way."
"Baiser." Marinette swore under her breath as she felt the color drain from her face at what Plagg had just said.
"Judging by your reaction, I am going to guess that you did not realize that little detail." Plagg said with s soft chuckle. "I'm also going to guess that this means that he has likely found Tikki and therefore knows who you are under your mask. This also means that he may have found the stash of photos of him that you no doubt carry with you at all times. Am I right or am I right."
"Both." Marinette admitted as she slowly, but not fully, recovered from her shock. "And then some as there might be some feminine things in there I would rather not explain to Adrien."
"Say no more." Plagg said with a nod. "I get it. Don't worry this has happened a few times before, Tikki and I have a scheme for this kind of accidental reveal. Well it's my scheme as I am responsible for most reveals for some unknown reason but Tikki knows it inside and out so don't worry about her."
"You do?" Marinette asked confused.
"Course we do." Plagg said with a nod. "Over our long, long, lives, we have been paired with over 100 humans. I think it's over 100 but I lost count centuries ago. Anyway, we always start out as not knowing who the other his paired with for safety reasons but inevitably we find out, it is in the nature of our miraculouses to do so. Sometimes it is deliberate on our holders' part, sometimes it is necessary for some reason, sometimes I end up causing the reveal and getting punished, other than two times Tikki did so, sometimes it's because the Bleeding Effect forces it when my holder starts to develop a heightened sense of smell, and sometimes it's by accident like this. This is the classic mixed up bags, accidental class, reveal. The 5th of its kind if I recall. Tikki and I have what is called Plan Tau for this kind of accidental reveal."
"Ok there is a lot I don't understand with this." Marinette said confused. "And I know that I will probably regret this but what is the Bleeding Effect and what the hell is Plan Tau?"
"The Bleeding Effect is, in summary, when the magic of the miraculous and our abilities bleed into you and give you a fraction of the enhancements we impart upon our holders while you are in civilian form." Plagg said not clarifying it to Marinette at all. "But that only happens after repetitive and prolonged use and not something that you need to worry about at the moment. My human on the other hand should be feeling the effects of it very soon, but I digress. As for Plan Tau, well that is in the title. It basically means that you exchange the bags behind the nearest, private, toilet. It is usually done under the cover of darkness to add extra privacy to the exchange. As with the last 4 times this has happened, it has while camping or on a mission that required luggage of some sort."
"Er, ok, that is confusing but I will trust you on this." Marinette said after she had time to process what Plagg had said. "So, I just take the bag to the toilet tonight and exchange it with Adrien."
"Precisely." Plagg said with a nod. "Don't worry, I have caused so many reveals that Tikki made me come up with a system to deal with any potential reveal. At the moment, we know how to handle almost any possible reveal; ranging from a standard time out at the wrong time all the way up to some vengeful God, Guardian or annoying trickster nature spirit who I am in massive debt to deciding to get their payment by forcing a reveal in the most awkward, humiliating, in their minds as I have no shame, and epic fashion imaginable. Those are always the best reveals in my opinion, even if they are all entirely my own fault."
"I have no words to what you just said." Marinette said shaking her head at Plagg. She knew that the Kwami of Destruction was, well, destructive but this was a whole different level that Marinette couldn't even begin to comprehend.
"Probably for the best." Plagg said with a shrug. "Few can put words to my many, many, great actions and deeds. Don't worry about the bags, Tikki and I have it under complete control."
"Ok good." Marinette said deciding that it was best to trust Plagg as the kwami seemed to know what he was doing. However, as soon as she had spoken, Plagg went stiff.
"Alya's on her way back." Plagg whispered fervently. "Wait until night falls, tell her why you are heading out, and exchange the bags."
With that Plagg flew into his bag and Marinette closed it behind him. A few seconds later, Alya unzipped and entered the tent, practically glowing after her alone time with Nino.
"Come on." Alya said as she began to unpack their cooking things, clearly unaware of what Marinette had been doing. "Chloe has finally put up her home away from home and Ms. Bustier is almost ready for the demonstration."
"Sounds good." Marinette said with a nod as Alya left the tent.
Marinette just followed her best friend out of the tent, closed it up and followed Alya to the center of their camp ground. Marinette knew that she should be paying attention to what her teacher would teach her but all that was going through her mind was what she had just learned, what it all meant going forward, and the fact that her and Adrien would be talking about all this in a few hours, alone. There was a lot on Marinette's mind but hopefully it would all turn out for the best in the end.
Night had fallen and everyone had been sent to bed by the teachers. Ms. Bustier had explained to them how to use their stoves and make the food that they had brought for the weekend. Then they all, in their pairs, tried to make their own dinner to mixed, but in Marinette's case pleasant, results. After that, they all had s'mores. S'mores were apparently an American camping treat involving crackers, milk chocolate, and fire roasted marshmallows. They were good but not as good as they should be as the crackers didn't work well with the chocolate. Though this was because they weren't the right brand of crackers, according to Ms. Bustier.
During dinner, Adrien had made eye contact with her and had given her a knowing nodded. That was all that she needed to confirm that he knew both the truth about her after seeing Tikki in her bag and that he knew of the plan to exchange the bags later. Of course, the exchange had naturally made Marinette blush and she had to look away to hide her embarrassment from her love. Naturally, in the process of looking away from Adrien, Marinette fell off her stool and ended up sprawled in the grass. Everyone laughed at her clumsiness and even Marinette had to chuckle at herself for falling off a stool by simply looking away from Adrien.
Finally, night had fallen and Ms. Bustier and Principle Damocles sent them all to bed as they would be up early for a nature hike with Ms. Bustier. They were only allowed to leave their tents if they needed the bathroom, or if they wanted to join the Principle on his late-night owl watching, no one took the Principle up on his offer. Admittedly, some would have considered it, but Principle Damocles had insisted on wearing his, The Owl, outfit and no one wanted anything to do with him when he was dressed like that.
As soon as Marinette was certain that everyone had gone to bed, she grabbed the bag that she had not unpacked and began to leave the tent. Naturally, Alya was not going to let her leave without explaining it to her.
"I accidentally took Adrien's bag and he took mine after the bus ride because we both brought the same bag camping." Marinette whispered to her best friend. "So, I am going to return it to him and get mine back."
"Ah ok, have fun girl." Alya said with a wink at Marinette that she shook off.
"I'll try." Marinette said as she left the tent.
"Tell me everything when you get back." Alya whispered after her as Marinette left the tent. "I expect all the juicy details."
Marinette just shook her head as she closed up the tent and headed to the bathroom to meet the boy she loved with all her heart. She had to be as quiet and as sneaky as possibly, which in Marinette's case meant falling over multiple times before she reached her final destination. Still, she got there without any other problems.
Adrien was already behind the small bathroom building, a small lantern in one hand providing a little light, and her bag, closed, in the other. Tikki hovered over his shoulder, clearly dispelling any chances that he hadn't seen her kwami. As soon as Marinette got there Plagg flew out of her bag to join the party and hover over her shoulder.
"Plan Tau again." Plagg said with a smile at Tikki as he Tikki swapped places.
"It is a proven method for dealing with this kind of mix-up and reveal." Tikki replied as she returned to Marinette and hugged her cheek affectionately.
"Is there any point in denying any of this Marinette." Adrien said with an adorable smile that always made Marinette blush. "Or should I call you bugaboo."
"Of course you can call me bugaboo, just not in public, kitty." Marinette chided as she managed to get her emotions under check. It helped that she knew that Adrien was Cat Noir and that she could talk normally to him, even if she couldn't talk normally to Adrien. "But yes, there is no point in denying this."
"We should probably talk more about all of this." Adrien said.
"Probably." Marinette agreed. "There is a lot that will come from what we found out today."
"Well, how about we take a walk tomorrow, along one of those private paths that Ms. Bustier told us about over dinner, you know, just us." Adrien said rubbing his neck and pointedly not making eye contact with her.
That was when Marinette realized that Adrien was blushing as he spoke, even if it was hard to make out in the lantern light. Marinette's heart nearly stopped at that. Was Adrien asking her out on a date? True it was to discuss what they knew in a private setting, but he was still asking for them to go on a walk in a forest alone and that sounded very romantic, and perfect, to Marinette.
"I love you, I mean I would love to." Marinette stammered out, feeling her own blush grow as her usual awkwardness around Adrien briefly returned.
"Great." Adrien said with a dazzling smile at her, meeting her eyes this time. "It's late so we should exchange bags and then go to bed before Nino or Alya start to ask too many uncomfortable questions."
"Agreed." Marinette said with a nod. Adrien smiled again and brought her bag over to her and took his back.
Adrien was about to turn and leave when Marinette had an idea. She knew that this was bold but she also knew that it was the right thing to do. It was also something she had wanted to do for well over a year.
"Adrien, wait!" Marinette said and Adrien turned to face her.
That was when Marinette rushed forward and before Adrien could react, she grabbed his face and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. She broke it off after a moment knowing that there would be more between them tomorrow.
"See you tomorrow, kitty." Marinette said coyly as she turned, grabbed her bag and hurried off to return to her tent.
She did not look back at the no doubt stunned Adrien she had just left behind. Tomorrow was certainly going to be interesting for them and their budding relationship.
Adrien just stood there staring blankly at Marinette as she ran off, his fingers lightly touching his lips as Plagg rolled his eyes at the entire scene. Adrien's trance at what Marinette had just done was broken when Marinette tripped over and face planted the grass in her usually, undignified, way. Adrien smiled at his lady, his love, as she got up, dusted herself off and continued to try and run towards her tent. Tomorrow was certainly going to be interesting for them and Adrien couldn't wait for what tomorrow was going to bring them.
Turning, Adrien picked up his bag, Plagg flying into it to hide, and headed back to his own tent, smiling uncontrollably. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough. With that thought, Adrien retired for the night. The day had been more interesting and wondrous then he could have expected, his first camping experience couldn't have gone any better.
This one was a lot longer than I anticipated but all that means is more for y'all to enjoy. I should be able to finish and release the bonus chapter sometime this coming Wednesday as well as the standard chapter next weekend, so for now we are back on schedule but a forced hiatus is on the horizon as I have real world writing assignments to complete. As always please keep your suggestions coming, there has recently been a massive blitz of prompts given to me which has more than doubled the current length of this fic. If the reveal in the show was to happen today and thus signal the end of accepted prompts, the final count of oneshots in this series (suggested, bonus, and special combined) will be 83! That will make this series the longest single fanfic (my Avatar/HP crossover series will cumulatively be longer) that I have ever written. This series is not going to end anytime soon but I am always hungry for more. As always, keep letting me know what you think of my work in your reviews, I read all of them and try to respond to them if I can, and feel free to leave a review that is just your top 5 oneshots so far and why so I know what works and what doesn't work in this series. Until next week.
Stringdog